preview

Analysis Of Edward Taylor's Poem Upon A Spider Catching A Fly

Decent Essays
Open Document

Edward Taylor, in his poem “Upon a Spider Catching A Fly”, uses his vast knowledge of the English language to portray the Puritan belief of the omnipotent and indomitable Christian God through the a conceit of this poem. In the second stanza Taylor characterizes a wasp as being “pettish” describing how the wasps’ movement is conveying its fractious emotions. He then goes on to say, in the third stanza, that the wasp is “afraid, remote” adding to Taylor’s description first description of the fretful wasp. Through his diction it is implied that the wasp is a metaphor for a human being, apprehensive about death as he has sinned during his time on earth. With knowledge of the Puritan society in which Taylor lives in, he insinuates that God is merciless

Get Access